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Gauntlet, Volume 020, Number 028

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The Gauntlet
The Campus Paper
Volume 20
Number 28
January 25,1980
Bog approves
fee increase
by Rory Cooney
Unconvinced by Students'
Council president Bruce Ramsay's argument that tuition fees
and student financial assistance
should be dealt with together,
the Board of Governors voted
Thursday to approve a 10 per
cent fee increase for 1980.
As a member of the Board,
Ramsay requested that they
"defer consideration ofthe resolution regarding the tuition fee
increase until such time as a
statement can be obtained from
the Minister of Advanced Education and Manpower on the
current status and possible results of the review of the Alberta
Student Assistance Program."
He suggested a delay until the
March 27 meeting of the Board
would give enough time for the
governors "to make a properly
informed decision on the tuition
increase."
After lengthy debate, Ramsay's motion was defeated, although the Board did'vote to
"urge the Minister of Advanced
Education and Manpower to act
on its recommendations on student financial assistance which
were made in connection with
the Grantham Report" and to
implement the change in the
system before September, 1980.
To back his argument, Ramsay pointed out that in response
to the Grantham Report, the
governors stated: "essentially
our position is that tuition fees
be continued in their present relationship to the total operating
budget of the University, (and)
that there be an adequate
grant/
loan/remission system practically available to all full and
"It's not just the students who
have recognized that," Ramsay
insisted later, "it says it in our
own policy."
"Given the Board's policy, it
is essential for all of us to have a
full understanding of Student
Aid Review to make an informed
decision," Ramsay said.
"The 10 per cent increase is
not the issue - it's being properly informed on how accessibility
principle will be effectively implemented."
"I think we should press Mr.
Horsman to come through on his
university commitment," Ramsay added.
But most of the Board expressed concern about the financial
aspects of increased fees, and
how it related to the question of
university autonomy.
Vice-president of finance,
Harvey Bliss, who introduced
the motion, said that tuition fees
and surplus funds are the only
substantial funds the university
receives that do not come from
provincial government grants,
and expressed concern about the
possible "erosion of fiscal autonomy."
"We don't have much flexibility as far as fiscal affairs are
concerned," Bliss said.
The 10 per cent increase represents about $633,000 in revenue for the University, Bliss
continued, a substantial a-
mount. Alberta has one ofthe
lowest fee structures in Canada,
second only to British Columbia,
he said, and even after the increase, students will be contributing abut 10 per cent of the
true cost of their education.
That's about three per cent lower than they paid in 1979. The
fee increase, Bliss noted, was
John Hind (L) and Bruce Ramsay
only the third in 12 years, and
applies only to full-time students.
To the argument that increasing tuition fees affect accessibility, Bliss maintained that the
grant and loan schemes are indexed and that student loan
monies will increase proportionally.
Advanced Education Minister
Jim Horsman recently announced increased amounts for existing scholarships and bursaries,
but Ramsay pointed out that the
increases are based on academic
merits rather than financial
need.
"The increase in tuition fees
doesn't increase the quality of
education, but they're essential
to maintain the level of education."
Board chairman Ross McKimmie was also opposed to
tuition tying tuition fees and
student aid in one motion and
using them "as a bargaining po-
state their case.
sition" that might be construed
as blackmailing the minister.
And although university president Norman Wagner agreed
with Ramsay's sentiments, he
said that the Board could not
use authority over tuition fees as
an argument for autonomy while
tying it in with student aid,
which comes from the government.
"We must reach a decision
independently," Wagner said,
adding that the chances of getting more information on student aid from the government
before March 27 "were very
minimal."
Hamish Kerfoot, president of
the Federation of Alberta Students, (FAS) disagreed with
Ramsay's acceptance of the inevitability of tuition fee increases, but challenged the Board's
autonomy by citing Horsman's
announcement of a fee increase
last September. The announce-
photo by Hamish Kertoot.
ment "didn't speak well for the
autonomy of this Board," Kerfoot said.
McKimmie responded by assuring Kerfoot that the Board
had no input into Horsman's
statement last fall, and that the
Board was acting on what it
thought was best for the university.
"The Board is not acting on
the action, advice, or coercion of
the minister," McKimmie said.
The only support for Ramsay's motion outside of SLC
finance commissioner John Hind
was from Dr. Wlater Zwirner.
Responding to Bliss's comment
that the extra $400 the increase
represents over four years would
not cause too much of a hardship, Zwirner said: "If you are
driving down the road and run
somebody over, you wouldn't say
'Well, he's in pain anyway, I
might as well drive over him
again.'"
Students OK expansion
The ballots are counted.
photo by Brian Mazza.
by Rory Cooney
The Students' Council will go
ahead with plans for the $8 million expansion of MacEwan Hall
after students voted by a 2 to 1
margin this week in favor of the
proposal.
The final count was 1009 for
and 549 against, in one ofthe
largest turnouts for a referendum in recent years. About 13
per cent of the student body cast
votes.
Students also voted overwhelmingly in favor of moving
the council changeover date
from four to seven weeks following the general election - 1351
students voted yes on that referendum, and 143 voted no.
They also voted to amend the
constitution to include the Review Board by a 1215 to 283
margin. As part of the constitution, the Students' Council can
no longer eliminate the Review
Board - which acts as a check on
council activities - without going
to another referendum.
The council will now gear up
its efforts to formulate concrete
plans for the expansion project
and will eventually approach the
Board of Governors for permission to build on the land and ask
the provincial government for
approximately $4 million in
matching funds.
Student Council president
Bruce Ramsay, who spent several noon hours defending the
project to skeptical students said
he thought "students made the
right decision."
"I think it will be a real bonus
for future students, who will
have proper facilities," Ramsay
said.
"Now that students have given
a mandate, I'm a little concerned that future councils will
take the mandate seriously and
carry it through," he added.
INSIDE
Olympic Boycotts
Views on Iran
Election platforms

The Gauntlet
The Campus Paper
Volume 20
Number 28
January 25,1980
Bog approves
fee increase
by Rory Cooney
Unconvinced by Students'
Council president Bruce Ramsay's argument that tuition fees
and student financial assistance
should be dealt with together,
the Board of Governors voted
Thursday to approve a 10 per
cent fee increase for 1980.
As a member of the Board,
Ramsay requested that they
"defer consideration ofthe resolution regarding the tuition fee
increase until such time as a
statement can be obtained from
the Minister of Advanced Education and Manpower on the
current status and possible results of the review of the Alberta
Student Assistance Program."
He suggested a delay until the
March 27 meeting of the Board
would give enough time for the
governors "to make a properly
informed decision on the tuition
increase."
After lengthy debate, Ramsay's motion was defeated, although the Board did'vote to
"urge the Minister of Advanced
Education and Manpower to act
on its recommendations on student financial assistance which
were made in connection with
the Grantham Report" and to
implement the change in the
system before September, 1980.
To back his argument, Ramsay pointed out that in response
to the Grantham Report, the
governors stated: "essentially
our position is that tuition fees
be continued in their present relationship to the total operating
budget of the University, (and)
that there be an adequate
grant/
loan/remission system practically available to all full and
"It's not just the students who
have recognized that," Ramsay
insisted later, "it says it in our
own policy."
"Given the Board's policy, it
is essential for all of us to have a
full understanding of Student
Aid Review to make an informed
decision," Ramsay said.
"The 10 per cent increase is
not the issue - it's being properly informed on how accessibility
principle will be effectively implemented."
"I think we should press Mr.
Horsman to come through on his
university commitment," Ramsay added.
But most of the Board expressed concern about the financial
aspects of increased fees, and
how it related to the question of
university autonomy.
Vice-president of finance,
Harvey Bliss, who introduced
the motion, said that tuition fees
and surplus funds are the only
substantial funds the university
receives that do not come from
provincial government grants,
and expressed concern about the
possible "erosion of fiscal autonomy."
"We don't have much flexibility as far as fiscal affairs are
concerned," Bliss said.
The 10 per cent increase represents about $633,000 in revenue for the University, Bliss
continued, a substantial a-
mount. Alberta has one ofthe
lowest fee structures in Canada,
second only to British Columbia,
he said, and even after the increase, students will be contributing abut 10 per cent of the
true cost of their education.
That's about three per cent lower than they paid in 1979. The
fee increase, Bliss noted, was
John Hind (L) and Bruce Ramsay
only the third in 12 years, and
applies only to full-time students.
To the argument that increasing tuition fees affect accessibility, Bliss maintained that the
grant and loan schemes are indexed and that student loan
monies will increase proportionally.
Advanced Education Minister
Jim Horsman recently announced increased amounts for existing scholarships and bursaries,
but Ramsay pointed out that the
increases are based on academic
merits rather than financial
need.
"The increase in tuition fees
doesn't increase the quality of
education, but they're essential
to maintain the level of education."
Board chairman Ross McKimmie was also opposed to
tuition tying tuition fees and
student aid in one motion and
using them "as a bargaining po-
state their case.
sition" that might be construed
as blackmailing the minister.
And although university president Norman Wagner agreed
with Ramsay's sentiments, he
said that the Board could not
use authority over tuition fees as
an argument for autonomy while
tying it in with student aid,
which comes from the government.
"We must reach a decision
independently," Wagner said,
adding that the chances of getting more information on student aid from the government
before March 27 "were very
minimal."
Hamish Kerfoot, president of
the Federation of Alberta Students, (FAS) disagreed with
Ramsay's acceptance of the inevitability of tuition fee increases, but challenged the Board's
autonomy by citing Horsman's
announcement of a fee increase
last September. The announce-
photo by Hamish Kertoot.
ment "didn't speak well for the
autonomy of this Board," Kerfoot said.
McKimmie responded by assuring Kerfoot that the Board
had no input into Horsman's
statement last fall, and that the
Board was acting on what it
thought was best for the university.
"The Board is not acting on
the action, advice, or coercion of
the minister," McKimmie said.
The only support for Ramsay's motion outside of SLC
finance commissioner John Hind
was from Dr. Wlater Zwirner.
Responding to Bliss's comment
that the extra $400 the increase
represents over four years would
not cause too much of a hardship, Zwirner said: "If you are
driving down the road and run
somebody over, you wouldn't say
'Well, he's in pain anyway, I
might as well drive over him
again.'"
Students OK expansion
The ballots are counted.
photo by Brian Mazza.
by Rory Cooney
The Students' Council will go
ahead with plans for the $8 million expansion of MacEwan Hall
after students voted by a 2 to 1
margin this week in favor of the
proposal.
The final count was 1009 for
and 549 against, in one ofthe
largest turnouts for a referendum in recent years. About 13
per cent of the student body cast
votes.
Students also voted overwhelmingly in favor of moving
the council changeover date
from four to seven weeks following the general election - 1351
students voted yes on that referendum, and 143 voted no.
They also voted to amend the
constitution to include the Review Board by a 1215 to 283
margin. As part of the constitution, the Students' Council can
no longer eliminate the Review
Board - which acts as a check on
council activities - without going
to another referendum.
The council will now gear up
its efforts to formulate concrete
plans for the expansion project
and will eventually approach the
Board of Governors for permission to build on the land and ask
the provincial government for
approximately $4 million in
matching funds.
Student Council president
Bruce Ramsay, who spent several noon hours defending the
project to skeptical students said
he thought "students made the
right decision."
"I think it will be a real bonus
for future students, who will
have proper facilities," Ramsay
said.
"Now that students have given
a mandate, I'm a little concerned that future councils will
take the mandate seriously and
carry it through," he added.
INSIDE
Olympic Boycotts
Views on Iran
Election platforms